Stonewater, a leading social housing provider in the West Midlands, has increased its growing portfolio of 877 affordable homes in Coventry to 1,186 following a stock transfer of 309 tenanted rental homes from The Guinness Partnership.
Stonewater has purchased 176 two-, three- and four-bedroom houses in Tanyard Farm, Tile Hill, and 133 two- and three-bedroom houses and one- and two-bedroom flats in Woodway Park. All the homes are general needs rented properties with most of the homes for social rent. A community centre, estates offices and a store have also been included in the transfer.
Pictured above from left to right: Catherine Evans, Stonewater Regional Director West; George Blunden, Stonewater Board Chair; James Puchoras, Stonewater Contracts Manager; Lynda Lines, Stonewater Portfolio Options Manager; Nick Harris, Stonewater Chief Executive; Sue Shirt, Stonewater Executive Director of Housing and Kirsty Higgins, Stonewater Tenancy Services Officer — West.
This latest acquisition fits with Stonewater’s ambitious development plans to build 1,000 new homes annually and deliver vital affordable housing in urban centres like Coventry where there is a critical shortage of good quality low-cost accommodation. It also follows the housing association strengthening its presence in the region with the opening of a Coventry office earlier this year at the Enterprise Centre in Coventry University Technology Park.
“We are committed to increasing the number of affordable homes we own and manage in the Coventry area in communities where they are most needed,” said George Blunden, Stonewater Chair. “We have worked closely with The Guinness Partnership and in consultation with residents to complete this stock transfer and our dedicated Coventry housing team is focussed on providing our new customers with a caring and responsive local service to meet their needs.”
To mark the event, Stonewater was joined by residents and representatives from The Guinness Partnership for an official handover ceremony.
Guinness will use the money raised to invest in building more homes and improving existing ones — so more people have the chance to live in an affordable home in England.
Catriona Simons, Chief Executive of The Guinness Partnership, commented: “We managed a relatively small number of homes in Coventry and wanted to transfer these homes to another housing association with more presence in the area.
“We went through a full competitive evaluation before we chose to transfer our Coventry homes to Stonewater. We were delighted with the quality of their submission and we believe they are really well-placed to continue to deliver quality services to customers in the future.”
